England right to drop Kevin, says Waugh

Kuala Lumpur: Kevin Pietersen only has himself to blame for being axed by England, according to former Australia captain Steve Waugh.

The fallout from the ECB’s decision to dispense with Pietersen shows no sign of abating, with the game divided over whether he was made a scapegoat for the winter’s Ashes humiliation.

“But he was no longer probably in the top 10 batsmen in the world. And I don’t think he was buying into the team ethic or culture – that is what it looked like. He ran out of chances.”

The ECB’s decision denied Pietersen the chance to choose his own retirement date but Waugh had no sympathy for the 33-year-old, saying: “He made his choice. He had a choice in how it could have ended for him. He made his bed.”

He added: “He had to prove to the team that he wanted to play for England and he was willing to sacrifice things to have that huge honour. Maybe he didn’t quite do that and people got sick of it. An exceptional player like that, you give a bit more leeway because they are capable of winning games.”